In the automotive industry, the various components are increasingly being joined together by means of adhesives. Sealants are also seeing increasing use in the manufacture of automobiles. These viscous media are supplied to a dosing feeder, and from there applied to the component to be adhesively bonded or sealed.
There are systems in use where the viscous medium is supplied to the dosing feeder from a storage container by means of a pump, and a controller is used to supply the viscous medium to the dosing feeder and dispense the medium from the dosing feeder.
This type of system operating mode makes sense for continuous production, since the viscous medium is uninterruptedly processed. By contrast, if the viscous mass is not continuously processed, the problem becomes that the viscous medium hardens, so that the system can no longer be operated. Apart from that, this system operating mode is not suitable for applying small quantities of a viscous medium, in particular if the medium is to be applied only to a relatively small number of components, as is required for small numbers or when testing new viscous media, meaning in particular new adhesives or sealants.
For example, EP 1 375 008 A2 discloses a method for adhesively bonding automotive components, e.g., for flange weld bonds in body construction, using an adhesive that is a multi-part adhesive. Use is here made of a dosing feeder, to which the adhesive is supplied from a storage container by means of a pump.